This is my first MIDI sequenced track using Ableton Live. My previous mixes were hand cut and paste using Cool Edit Pro (before it was Adobe Audition). As you can imagine, those mixes took way too long. Well, I've finally stepped out of the dark ages and stopped ignoring 25 years of MIDI technology =). I hope you enjoy this.

The not presumptuously named "The Very Best" is a duo consisting of Esau Mwamwaya (from Malawi) and Radioclit. They kick things off with the calypso-infused "Kamphopo". Next, Three 6 Mafia and Project Pat spice things up with a Santogold remix. Can't wait for Missy's new album 'Block Party' if there are booty-shaking floor-fillers as good as "Best, Best".

Creature is this year's Alphabeat, with a touch of the B-52's and Deee-Lite. They hail from Montreal and they'll shake your ass to "Who's Hot Who's Not". Shugo Tokumaru transcends J-pop with the quirky, psychedelic "Parachute". Lily Allen comes storming back with "Not Fair", a catchy tune from her much anticipated LP 'It's Not Me, It's You'.

Next, self-loathing is never so catchy as when Morrissey puts it to song, as evidenced by "I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris". Only stone and steel accept my love. The Harlem Shakes do their best CYHSY impression with "Sunlight", not that I'm complaining. White Denim keeps things moving with "I Can Tell You". Next up, British Sea Power stirs your eardrums with the anthemic "Waving Flags".

I'm looking forward to an official release from New Villager after hearing their exciting 7" "Rich Doors". Transition to Animal Collective's "My Girls", easily the song of the year so far. I can't get enough of it. Try to not sing along with "I don’t mean to seem like I care about material things, like our social stats / I just want four walls and adobe slats for my girls." Is that Zooey Deschanel on another M. Ward track? Why, I believe it is. "Never Had Nobody Like You" starts out kinda like "We Will Rock You" and has yummy distorted "Revolution"-like guitar. The Decemberists ponder marriage and filicide on "The Rake's Song". Really chilling if you listen to the lyrics. Sometimes, I wonder about Colin Meloy. Can't wait for their new album, 'Hazards of Love'.

Neko Case can do no wrong. "People Got A Lot Of Nerve" is the first single off her much anticipated forthcoming album. Chat is a French pianist whose song "Harmony" harkens back to chansons of yore. If "Love Songs" is any indication, Anjulie is set to be huge in 2009. From her roots in Guyana and Toronto, she adds a little L.A. sunshine and creates a brand of pop that is eclectic yet accessible, personal and disarming. Amadou & Mariam take a step forward with their highly enjoyable LP 'Welcome to Mali'. "Sabali" is representative of the gems on that album.

The Love Language are a band to watch closely. Their forthcoming eponymous album is among the best debuts of 2009 and is getting a lot of play on my system. Get your wikipedia ready for Andrew Bird's "Tenuousness" as he waxes poetic about proto-Sanskrit Minoans and Porto-centric Lisboans. Finally, drift away on Marissa Nadler's haunted melodies with "Rosary".

Ok, here's my long overdue Favorite Albums of 2008 list. A lot of year-end lists suffer from the recency effect. I try to avoid this by keeping a running top 20 list throughout the year, which inevitably ballooons into a top 50, then top 75, etc. I hope you find this list a useful guide to the year of music that was 2008.

Favorite Albums----------------1) Fleet Foxes - Fleet FoxesThis stunning debut album is like a leisurely horseback ride through the countryside. Its soothing and familiar qualities belie its complexity and timelessness. It's nostalgic without feeling cheesy or derivative: a down-to-earth tapestry of folk, rock, baroque pop, and alt-country. Don't forget to check out their equally brilliant EP, 'Sun Giant'.

4) The Walkmen - You & MeThis is the album that I've been waiting for from The Walkmen. Put behind you the notion that they can only churn out a few good songs per album. This is full of the contemplative, moody ballads that you wish they would write a whole album of.

5) Stereolab - Chemical ChordsThis is possibly Stereolab's most acccesible album to date. Although stubborn fans and purists may be turned off a bit, it's a fun mix of the usual Sterolab eclecticism in a stew of bouncy synths, horns, strings, loungy/mathy/jazzy elements, and an electronic ye-ye vibe.

9) Tricky - Knowle West BoyThis is Tricky's best album since his classic, 'Maxinquaye'. I didn't think Tricky had an album this good left in him. Bristol is back, baby; just don't call this trip hop. One listen to "Past Mistake" will take you back to 1995; but this album is so much more. It's the sound of urban decay with a hint of nostalgia, a sound that deftly blends a dark soundscape of downtempo, dub, electro, reggae, rap, blues, and rock. The songs are well-constructed with solid contributions from relative unknowns that nicely complement Tricky's raspy voice.

10) Beck - Modern GuiltPairing Beck with Danger Mouse was a daring idea. The combination works better than I would have imagined. Danger Mouse shows some restraint but nevertheless contributes a solid production effort with his usual bag of tricks: disembodied beats and samples. Beck uses these as a backdrop to craft his best folky melancholic songs since 'Sea Change'.

17) Steinski - What Does It All Mean? 1983-2006 RetrospectiveFans of the old school and cut up need this album. Steinski is a DJ's secret weapon. This album will replace a whole pile of scratched up vinyl in your dusty ol' record bin and obviate the need for that wish list of remaining white labels that you thought you'd never get your hands on.

18) Neon Neon - Stainless StyleNeon Neon is a collaboration between Boom Bip and Gruff Rhys. 'Stainless Style' is a refreshing album that departs from the typical stale formula that plagues most revivals of the 80s synth pop sound. More often than not, they succeed in creating fresh sounding 80s-inspired songs like "Raquel", "I Lust U", and my favorite, "I Told Her On Alderaan".

19) Bajofondo - Mar DulceNot to be pigeonholed as electronic tango, this Argentine-Uruguayan group fashions a sexy mix of tango, latin rock, jazz, hip-hop, and loungy downtempo with live and sampled drums, bass, violin, accordion-like bandoneon, and guitar. Don't overlook the solid slate of guest appearances which includes Elvis Costello and Nelly Furtado.

20) Slumdog Millionaire SoundtrackI'll have to admit I'm fairly ignorant of A.R. Rahman's oeuvre, whose Bollywood musical body of work has apparently sold over a hundred million records. I was intrigued upon learning that it was partly M.I.A's appreciation for his work that inspired her to record 'Kala'. Much of 'Kala' as a matter of fact was recorded at Rahman's studio, although they never collaborated until this soundtrack, which runs the gamut from more traditional Bollywood to hip-hop to progressive house.